Panthers wide receiver says work ethic, healthy eating have been keys to his long career

Published: Monday, August 5, 2013 at 3:15 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, August 6, 2013 at 12:45 a.m.

Steve Smith has always been more of a throwback type than new-age diva when it comes to being an NFL wide receiver, so it really shouldn't come as a surprise the guy actually still gets weekly visits from the milkman.

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PANTHERS CAMP

SPIN AWAYAnother new set of rule changes by the NFL to clamp down on taunting would penalize Carolina receiver Steve Smith's now much-imitated ball-spin after a big play. However, the veteran said Monday that his patented move would continue with some slight alterations.“We working it out, we got it together,” Smith said of conversations with officials. “It will still be there, I will just have to alter it a little bit. Some people were probably like ‘Yes, it's finally gone,' but I hate to burst your bubble. Just call me a dream-crusher, it's still here.”HIGH PRODUCTIONSteve Smith suffered a broken leg in the 2004 season opener that caused him to miss the rest of the year, but since 2005 he's been one of the top yardage leaders among receivers:Player Team YardageReggie Wayne Colts 9,954Larry Fitzgerald Cardinals 9,633Steve Smith Panthers 9,256Andre Johnson Texans 9,136Roddy White Falcons 8,725SCHEDULETuesday-Thursday: 9:15 a.m.Friday: Preseason opener vs. Chicago, 8 p.m. in Charlotte, N.C., WSPA Ch. 7All practices at Wofford are free and open to the public. The schedule is subject to change.

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Now that's old school. Just when one may have thought milkmen disappeared about the same time as black-and-white TV sitcoms, leave it to a guy like Smith to get his regular calcium intake delivered to his front door.

It's all part of the master plan that has kept the 34-year-old at the top of his game long past the time most of his contemporaries have been put out to pasture. Smith was the 74th overall pick in the 2001 draft with Reggie Wayne and Santana Moss the only receivers currently in the NFL from that same class. Other receivers taken ahead of Smith included Chad Johnson, Rod Gardner and Freddie Mitchell.

Smith caught 73 passes for 1,174 yards last season, his 12th in the NFL, and in the years since missing an entire season with a broken leg in 2004 only Wayne (9,954) and Larry Fitzgerald (9,633) have totaled more than his 9,256 receiving yards. There's been little drop-off in his performance since being rejuvenated with the addition of quarterback Cam Newton in 2011.

“Here's my reply to if I've lost a step,” Smith said. “If I've lost a step, that's good, that's great, it may happen or it may not, but what I'm doing at 34 there are general managers hoping and praying they can draft a guy that can do what I'm doing (right away).”

Smith overhauled his diet after reading an article during 2006 training camp promoting the positives of organic food, and that now includes frequent deliveries from a nearby farm.

“We actually have an old-fashioned milkman who comes every Thursday and all that stuff,” Smith said. “It's just cleaner, no pesticides or any of that. After reading that report on the processing of food I went home from camp and cleaned out the whole pantry and went organic. Ever since then it's easier to keep my weight down and I just feel a difference and try to keep on that regimen. So much that I probably drive to Greenville every day for lunch to go to Whole Foods to keep myself together and that's healthier for me.”

Smith also credits a “good gene pool” and relentless year-round workout routine that keeps both his mind and body at elite status. His mantra is never allowing oneself to get comfortable because that's when a lack of personal drive can begin to win the daily battle to be the best.

“You either are comfortable which leads to laziness or uncomfortable which leads you to work hard and treat every day as if it's your first day versus your last day,” Smith said. “We're going to camp with 12, sometimes 13 receivers every year, even though some guys have repeated, in 10 years that's 120 guys who have sat in that seat and only a few of them that has remained and I'm one of those few guys.

“I don't say that to brag, I say that to sound fortunate, that I'm lucky, and I'm not going to roll the dice to say I've got this weekend off and not put in that preparation or that mental aspect. Also a big thing for me is being an example for my kids. How can I sit at home and tell them to work hard when I'm sitting on my butt playing video games and they never see me doing anything. That's part of the legacy I want to leave. A lot of people can say I did this, or I punched a guy, or I did that, but one thing you can never say is that I didn't work. I'm going to work.”

Smith recently found himself in a reflective moment at home with his wife after his three children had gone to bed and began to think back on his career.

“Actually it hasn't gone by very quickly. Thirteen years has been phenomenal. I would've never thought I'd be playing in the NFL, first of all, or that I've played a decade-plus and that when I walk into the stadium, not just my family, but other people have my jersey. Going back home where I can go into a sports store and my jersey is there next to guys like Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly.

“For me I've treasured every moment of it. Maybe not as much as I should have, but I do appreciate it, and that appreciation goes into my preparation in the offseason that I have to work hard.”

<p>Steve Smith has always been more of a throwback type than new-age diva when it comes to being an NFL wide receiver, so it really shouldn't come as a surprise the guy actually still gets weekly visits from the milkman.</p><p>Now that's old school. Just when one may have thought milkmen disappeared about the same time as black-and-white TV sitcoms, leave it to a guy like Smith to get his regular calcium intake delivered to his front door.</p><p>It's all part of the master plan that has kept the 34-year-old at the top of his game long past the time most of his contemporaries have been put out to pasture. Smith was the 74th overall pick in the 2001 draft with Reggie Wayne and Santana Moss the only receivers currently in the NFL from that same class. Other receivers taken ahead of Smith included Chad Johnson, Rod Gardner and Freddie Mitchell.</p><p>Smith caught 73 passes for 1,174 yards last season, his 12th in the NFL, and in the years since missing an entire season with a broken leg in 2004 only Wayne (9,954) and Larry Fitzgerald (9,633) have totaled more than his 9,256 receiving yards. There's been little drop-off in his performance since being rejuvenated with the addition of quarterback Cam Newton in 2011.</p><p>“Here's my reply to if I've lost a step,” Smith said. “If I've lost a step, that's good, that's great, it may happen or it may not, but what I'm doing at 34 there are general managers hoping and praying they can draft a guy that can do what I'm doing (right away).”</p><p>Smith overhauled his diet after reading an article during 2006 training camp promoting the positives of organic food, and that now includes frequent deliveries from a nearby farm.</p><p>“We actually have an old-fashioned milkman who comes every Thursday and all that stuff,” Smith said. “It's just cleaner, no pesticides or any of that. After reading that report on the processing of food I went home from camp and cleaned out the whole pantry and went organic. Ever since then it's easier to keep my weight down and I just feel a difference and try to keep on that regimen. So much that I probably drive to Greenville every day for lunch to go to Whole Foods to keep myself together and that's healthier for me.”</p><p>Smith also credits a “good gene pool” and relentless year-round workout routine that keeps both his mind and body at elite status. His mantra is never allowing oneself to get comfortable because that's when a lack of personal drive can begin to win the daily battle to be the best.</p><p>“You either are comfortable which leads to laziness or uncomfortable which leads you to work hard and treat every day as if it's your first day versus your last day,” Smith said. “We're going to camp with 12, sometimes 13 receivers every year, even though some guys have repeated, in 10 years that's 120 guys who have sat in that seat and only a few of them that has remained and I'm one of those few guys.</p><p>“I don't say that to brag, I say that to sound fortunate, that I'm lucky, and I'm not going to roll the dice to say I've got this weekend off and not put in that preparation or that mental aspect. Also a big thing for me is being an example for my kids. How can I sit at home and tell them to work hard when I'm sitting on my butt playing video games and they never see me doing anything. That's part of the legacy I want to leave. A lot of people can say I did this, or I punched a guy, or I did that, but one thing you can never say is that I didn't work. I'm going to work.”</p><p>Smith recently found himself in a reflective moment at home with his wife after his three children had gone to bed and began to think back on his career.</p><p>“Actually it hasn't gone by very quickly. Thirteen years has been phenomenal. I would've never thought I'd be playing in the NFL, first of all, or that I've played a decade-plus and that when I walk into the stadium, not just my family, but other people have my jersey. Going back home where I can go into a sports store and my jersey is there next to guys like Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly.</p><p>“For me I've treasured every moment of it. Maybe not as much as I should have, but I do appreciate it, and that appreciation goes into my preparation in the offseason that I have to work hard.”</p>